


Starry Night

by underthenorthstar



Series: The Lion and the Wild [2]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Budding Relationship, Cullen is unsure, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Second Kiss, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3517607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthenorthstar/pseuds/underthenorthstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen is unsure of what to do after his kiss with the Inquisitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Starry Night

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy this second installment!

He's wandering again. 

The moon is high in the sky, and he can't stop moving. His body screams for sleep, but his brain cannot rest. It's a common occurrence in his life. Thoughts of the Inquistion, the events at Kinloch Hold, at Kirkwall, the constant itch for lyrium...they clutch at him constantly. He is never free of his burdens, past or present. 

Tonight, however, his wandering occurs for a different reason. 

Her. 

Maker's breath, that day on the battlements feels like a dream. Had she really told him she cared for him? Had he really had her supple form in his arms, those rose tinted lips sweet and pliable under his own? 

His whole body buzzes with the memory of it. It had been so wonderful, so completely and utterly perfect.

And also terrifying.

Cullen doesn't remember the last time he felt this way about a woman.  
He is totally inexperienced in this department and it quite frankly scares him. He doesn't know what to do next. Should he seek her out? He hasn't seen her since that day. Should he send her flowers? What kind of flowers does she even like? What if (and this one makes his heart hurt horribly), what if she has changed her mind?

Funnily enough, as he ponders these things, he finds himself entering Skyhold's garden. He inhales deeply through his nose. It smells like the wild here, like roses and lavender and freshly turned earth. It reminds him of her. She truly is one with nature, dirt crusted under her nails (much to Josie's dismay, which makes him laugh), flowers in her hair, the smell of elfroot on her skin. He likes that her position hasn't caused her to forget her Dalish roots. She is a wild mountain vine, free to grow and bloom and never to be cut down.

"Can't sleep either, Cullen?"

He nearly jumps out of his skin as her melodious voice hits his ears, so wrapped up in his thoughts he had failed to notice her as she sits on a bench amongst the patch of elfroot. 

"My lady Inquisitor!" He stammers, eyes wide with surprise. "I didn't see you there."

She laughs softly, a tinkling sound like water rushing over smooth stone. "I think it is more than appropriate for you to call me by my name when we are alone, Cullen."

"Oh," he flushes, eyes dropping to his boots. "If it would please you, Ellyrianna." 

She laughs again, and he thinks to himself it's one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard. "It would indeed. Would you like to sit with me for a bit? I find sleep is alluding me as well tonight, and there is nothing nicer than to sit out here and look at the stars."

He nods, seating himself on the beach next to her. She is sorely mistaken, he thinks. She is much nicer to look at than the stars. The moonlights bathes her in almost and ethereal glow, light reflecting off her alabaster skin. Her brown hair tumbles wildly down her back, and he has to clench his hands into fists to stop himself from reaching out to touch it. She is close enough he can feel the warmth if her body, and it makes every nerve in his body feel on fire. 

"When I was a child, my father would take me out to map the constellations," she's looking up at the sky now, a faraway look in her electric blue eyes. "He always loved the stars."

Cullen does not miss the wistful look that crosses her face. "You must miss him and your clan terribly."

Her eyes leave the heavens and lock onto his, a small, sad smile on her face. He's suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to take her into his arms, to comfort her. 

"I do," she says quietly. "Being away from my people is hard. Here I am surrounded by so many who simply don't understand. My Dalish heritage unnerves them, I think." She suddenly becomes very bashful, a slim hand coming up to tug on a lock of hair fretfully. "Cullen, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, Ellyrianna," he gives her what he hopes is a reassuring smile. Maker's breath, he could never refuse her anything.

She takes a deep breath. "Does my being Dalish bother you?"

He blinks, surprise on his face. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

Her hand twists faster in her hair. "I just-" she furrows her brow. "Last week, after we...kissed, I, well I just, nothing ever seemed to come of it. I was just....wondering."

Cullen mentally kicks himself. He never imagined that she'd take his distance this way. He simply did not know what to do next. Stupid, stupid fool, he thinks. You've hurt her. Fix it.

He runs a hand through his blonde hair, a sigh escaping his lips. 

"Ellyrianna, I have no idea what I'm doing here," he says. "I have very little expertise in the way of romance. I simply had no clue how to approach you about what happened. You make me so nervous."

He reaches for her hand, hoping he's not overstepping his boundaries. To his relief, she lets him enfold her tiny hand in his. 

"I meant what I said that day. I don't regret it." He runs his thumb over her knuckles, cursing the barrier of his gloves between their skin. "I just...don't know what to do next."

A smile spreads slowly across her face. Maker's breath, her smile is more radiant than the sun. He never wants it to ever leave her freckled face. 

"I think," she slides her body slightly closer to his, "that a good place to start would be to kiss me again."

Relief floods through him. She has not changed her mind, and he has not made a mess of things. He can't help but let out a small laugh.

"As you wish, Ellyrianna."

And then she's in his arms, and he's kissing her. It's hungry, passionate. He devours those delicious pink lips like a man starving. She kisses him back with the same wild abandon, tiny hands clutching desperately at his shoulders. He feels dizzy, like he's drunk too much ale. She sighs his name against his lips, and he think he just might come undone right then and there.

And in that moment, he knows. He knows that despite his ineptitude, despite his fear, this is something. Something he is not willing to let go, something he will fight for with everything he has. 

And, as she presses herself even closer, he knows that she will too.


End file.
